HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-11-28, Page 4Page 4 November 28, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK'1WO
Government must
address issue of
taser deaths
One has to wonder how many Canadians will die
by the buzz of the taser before the government
begins the process of addressing the long -ignored
issue.
Afteret another Canadian has died via 50,000
volts delivered by a person employed by the taxpay-
er in this land where the death penalty is not per-
mitted, one must wonder aloud: What gives?
It almost seems that there is a live -and -let -die
attitude among some sectors of the establishment.
After all, as many media outlets and police depart,
ments have reported in staid tones, at least a few of
the taser-death victims were, ahem, high on
cocaine when they were shocked to death.
One would be wise to question the airing of pri-
vate health-related laundry since, ap we all are
sometimes painfully aware, police departments and
media outlets do not reveal that the average
Joe/Jane citizen was high .on marijuana or booze or
prescription drugs at the end of his/her life unless
he/she was behind the wheel at the time. In other
words, there is the recognition that out of respect
for a person's loved ones, such airings are neither
appropriate nor necessary.
The other question that must be asked in light of
the revelation is: Is the death somehow acceptable
because the alleged lawbreaker was tweaking
when tasered?
The last argument, of course flies in the face of
reason on countless fronts, with perhaps the most
obvious being that a person in. the midst of commit-
ting an offence is likely *not just exiting a church
service with a belly full of blueberry pancakes laced
with freshly squeezed OJ.
. This past week, police commissioner Julian
Fantino is on record as saying those criticizing
taser use are out of line, which once again high-
lights just how much the paternalistic structure of
`daddy knows best' continues to pervade the law-
enforcement field.
If a few Canadians had been shot to death by
police in the past week, chances are there would be
a public outcry about overzealous police officers
but, somehow, if a taser is involved, it is easier to
blame electricity than the system.
All of the evidence in this case points to one easy
solution: turn down the voltage on tasers to `slight-
ly daze' rather than 'turn into Frankenstein' or hol-
ster them for good.
-- The Clinton News -Record .
Alarming introduction to Seaforth
leads to welcoming stay
I'm moving on from this job
and custom demands a
farewell column.
Endings naturally make me
think of beginnings and with
my time in Seaforth and
Mitchell coming to an end, I
can't help but think about
how it started. It really wasn't
that long ago.
Just over seven months ago, in fact. My sec-
ond visit to Seaforth before starting the job -
the first being for the job interview - was a
Saturday.
Christa and I were looking at apartments
around town and about to get the grand tour
of Seaforth from one of my soon-to-be editors,
Susan Hundertmark. Later we would get the
tour of Mitchell from Advocate editor Andy
Bader.
I was supposed to call Sue when we were
ready for the tour, so while Christa popped
into one of the downtown businesses to use
the facilities, I walked down to the telephone
booth in front of the post office.
As I mentioned, it was a Saturday. What I
didn't mention was that it was about 1 p.m.
A chilling howl filled the air and put the
hairs on the back of my neck on end.
I'd only ever heard the noise before in old
war movies and in the horror flick Silent Hill.
Silent Hill is a creepy little movie that takes
place in a deserted small town over a
decades -old underground coal fire. In that
movie, the siren sounds before the skies go
black and the monsters come out.
Aaron Jacklin
I looked around to see if people
were running for shelter and
stifled an incredulous bit of
alarm when I realized I hap-
pened to be the only person on
the sidewalk.
A few moments passed, the
siren stopped and nothing hap-
pened. Of course.
How I managed to grow up in a small town
without ever coming across this method for
notifying the volunteer fire department that
it was time to don their gear and go save the
day, I'll never know.
I soon learned both the purpose of the
alarm and that 1 p.m. on Saturdays is when
it is tested.
In the seven months since, I've met so many
people that I actually can't remember the last
time I went to cover an event without run-
ning into a few familiar faces.
Everyone I've crossed paths with in Huron
East and Perth West has been extraordinari-
ly welcoming, something that I had not been
prepared for in journalism school.
Granted, there was the infamous driver
who flipped me the bird, but he was the
exception that proved the rule.
Over the last *everal months, I've talked to
many of you about your struggles making a
living on the farm. I've taken photos of many
of your children at soccer and baseball and
hockey games. I've haunted countless other
community events in search of the perfect
See HOWL, Page 6
Ron & Dave
'r I'm supposed
to have my
report finished
for school
tomorrow.
(46
-e
O .7
V Asko
What do you think
I should do? How
am I ever gonna
get out of this jam?
4s
The teacher said
that it's my last
chance, and if I
don't have it done
I'm gonna be
in BIG TROUBLEI
Hey...I've got
an idea
Why don't you
just do your
homework?
by David Lacey
How would I ever
learn anything if
I always took the
easy way out!
fOe
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